If your horse stood like this (lame)

[jhoward]

as in the picture ... if your horse would only put weight on the toe what would you be thinking?

this came on from sound horse to cant walk/shaking horse in 3 hours.

vet has seen said horse but was as much use as a chocolate tea pot.

today horse is down, but still showing character struggled to have a pee but was hobbling about, its been poulticed as vet suggest abscess (but didnt use hoof testers and again it came on in hours.)

there is no heat/swelling any where although i expect leg to start coming now due to how he is weight barring. The only thing i can find is he has chipped his hoof on outer wall, this i noticed on monday. there is a bit of bruising around it. (if you can enlarge piccie you can see it)

picture..

 

[rema]

I'm not a vet but it looks like an abscess brewing.My horse is prone to them and he goes from sound to broken leg lame in hours..

 

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

Can you soak his foot in warm water with Epsom salts? and then poultice. Have you had the farrier out?

 

[Fransurrey]

From what you say I'd agree with vet about abscess. Once the swelling gets to a critical point, it will become quite painful to weight bear, as there's nowhere for that swelling to expand to in the hoof capsule. Fingers crossed it brews well and fast.

 

[fatpiggy]

Pointing the toe is the classic sign of pus in the foot. Just because the vet couldn't find anything with the hoof testers, doesn't mean there isn't an abcess in there. I would tub several times a day with hot salt water and give plenty of bute. When my old girl got an abcess not long before she was PTS she was absolutely crippled and spent most of her time laid out to take the weight off. Once it burst she was fine.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Small puncture wound?
Fracture?
Abscess?

See if anything shows on the poultice and get an x-ray if no puncture or abscess is found.

 

[Mardy Mare]

I would agree that it sounds like an abcess. Maybe its quite deep within the hoof? It usually comes on quickly.

 

[JillA]

I would get a good farrier a.s.a.p in the first instance - that shows every sign of being a foot abcess. Horrendously painful for them, so actually quite cruel to leave it, and easily relieved by releasing the pressure. If the farrier is good you won't need pain relief, just a poultice or three, and for foot lameness (which this shows every sign of being) I would never use a vet, most are reluctant to poke around enough.

 

[shmoo]

I would get a good farrier a.s.a.p in the first instance - that shows every sign of being a foot abcess. Horrendously painful for them, so actually quite cruel to leave it, and easily relieved by releasing the pressure. If the farrier is good you won't need pain relief, just a poultice or three, and for foot lameness (which this shows every sign of being) I would never use a vet, most are reluctant to poke around enough.

Ditto, always farrier for feet - never a vet. Hope it gets sorted soon. Hugs.x.

 

[mynutmeg]

I'd go with abcess - second getting your farrier to come and find it

 

[KSR]

I'd not send a dead sparrow to this vet.. He watched horse walk then trot up and down once, and prodded his diagonal hock..

That's it..

I attended.. I even held his foot up for the vet and he wouldn't check it..

Vet had already been called and was on the way when I got there at 21.15 last night..

 

[Dizzleton]

As you said the hoof was bruised; a bruise is basically a pocket of blood that develops when some blood vessels are broken (most likely happened when the chip occurred). This pocket of blood is a wonderful growing environment for bacteria. As the hoof grows out, the bruise grows out, allowing bacteria to invade the area and develop into an abscess.

Firstly, I'd get your farrier out to do a thorough investigation of his hoof as he may be able to drain it.

If he doesn't drain it, soak his hoof in epsom salts and warm water for 20-40 mins - the water should be above the hairline so the abscess can break through the coronary band easier.

Keep the hoof as clean as possible and poultice it for a few days and hopefully that should draw out any infections

Good luck

 

[whisp&willow]

Abscess. I'd put money on it!

 

[jhoward]

He's hoof has been soaked and polticed, as someone suggested I was cruel.. This came about at 9pm last night ..i live 30 miles away so yo and friend dealt with vet.

Vet never used hoof testers from what I told apart from making the poor sod trot he done sod all. I have text my yo asking for a decent farrier

 

[lamlyn2012]

I agree , an abcess. I would soak in warm saltwater 3 or 4 times daily for 20 mins. My vet is against poulticing as it gives an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive.

 

[jhoward]

id possibly agree but horse is having to stay out and field id stonie/gritty also the poltice is offering him some cusioning.

 

[JillA]

He's hoof has been soaked and polticed, as someone suggested I was cruel..

Sorry, if you meant me, I only meant that in general terms. I know some of the barefoot enthusiasts believe in letting an abcess find its own way out rather than digging an exit route for the pus. This is cruel IMO and also dangerous - I wasn't referring to you specifically, just making the point that if anyone believes in letting "nature take its course" that means days of acute pain for the horse.
I do apologise if you took it that I meant you were cruel - I'm sure you are doing the best you can, including posting on here.

 

[trefnantblackknight]

I'm not a vet but it looks like an abscess brewing.My horse is prone to them and he goes from sound to broken leg lame in hours..

Our horse is the same will be inimitably lame, pointing toe hobbling around but still happy in himself for around a month then the abscess will burst and we can poultice

 

[Firewell]

Abcess.
He sounds an awful vet, he should have taken off the shoe, dug out the pocket of pus to release pressure and let it drain, then pulticed and given you painkillers for your horse.
I'd call the farrier asap to get him to do the above asap, get some animal lintex and some bute. Abscesses can be nasty, they can take 3 days to get
better or 3 weeks. Most important thing is to keep the area where they dig out the puss clean.

 

[jhoward]

No shoes on and he's on bite although he's not so impressed about it

 

[ester]

Isn't bute usually contra-indicated for an abscess as you actually want the inflammation?

 

[KSR]

He was a disgraceful vet.. I was shocked..

Poulticed him this morning with animalintex.. Getting all the extra stuff from my own yard that i used for my own very sick horse as we speak from my poultice kit..

 

[JillA]

Isn't bute usually contra-indicated for an abscess as you actually want the inflammation?

Why would you want inflammation? Inflammation = pain, you wouldn't want a horse to be in pain if you could ease it surely? And inflammation can damage surrounding tissues. We have used bute in the past for abcesses, it isn't necessary quite often if the pressure is released but it is always useful to have handy to relive the very acute pain.

 

[ester]

because in complete laymans terms inflammation is what pushes the abscess towards a surface- and whether you are waiting for it to release itself or are going to get a farrier to dig the nearer a surface the better. Essentially I think bute can increase the length of time an abscess will be about for, I will try and find a link for you.

A similar reason to why antibiotics are also contra-indicated unless there is also significant leg swelling


ETA- I think it is a vet personal thing, some think they can prolong others prefer to use- I think it depends on the severity of the pain/likely location of the abscess

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Sorry JillA, but you are wrong.

You should not use bute or antibiotics for abscesses as it prolongs the abscess. The only exception is when the leg swells and antbiotics are then given to prevent infection in the leg.

Yes I have left abscesses to burst on their own on the advice of both my Vet and Farrier. It did not drag on for days and the horse was 'hopping' for a few hours only. They didn't want to dig it out because they couldn't locate it and to dig holes willy-nilly hoping that by a stroke of luck they might find it is idiotic. As soon as it popped, she was sound, where as in the past (having been dug out) she was sore for days after.

I am not cruel to my horses. Their needs come first and I always get the professionals along when they are needed.

I fully accept that I let my mare down when I didn't sack the farrier that shod her badly (although I was assured by others that he did a good job) straight away, but I have learnt so much since then (including listening to my gut when I'm just not happy) that it will never happen again.

 

[mightymammoth]

Any update jh? Or ksr?

 

[Ancient Hacker]

I'm also in the abscess club from what the o p has written.

Bute and antibiotics, in my limited knowledge, are definitely contra-indicated.
I've seen someone (thankfully not me, but someone who ought to know a lot better than I!) bute a horse with a possible abscess. It masks the symptoms; as soon as the bute was stopped the entire hindleg swelled at an incredible pace - within hours the horse was holding his leg right up and in agony.

Foot means farrier, almost every time. Good luck o p and let us know how you go!

 

[jhoward]

Needy is still hobbling about he's refused to eat the bute so is free of it at the mo, awaiting ksr sober can re poltice and she has the farrier later so is going to speak to him too. On the plus side horse is bright and helpfully attempted to knock a barrow full of poop over

 

[touchstone]

I find hot tubbing helpful, you can get the heat right over the coronary band in case the abscess is wanting to burst out there (the place of least resistance) and it softens everything up to help it burst more easily.

 

[AmyMay]

because in complete laymans terms inflammation is what pushes the abscess towards a surface- and whether you are waiting for it to release itself or are going to get a farrier to dig the nearer a surface the better. Essentially I think bute can increase the length of time an abscess will be about for, I will try and find a link for you.

A similar reason to why antibiotics are also contra-indicated unless there is also significant leg swelling


ETA- I think it is a vet personal thing, some think they can prolong others prefer to use- I think it depends on the severity of the pain/likely location of the abscess

Spot on.